Episcopal News Service I Shireen Korkzan I Posted December 18, 2023
After 13 days of advocating at the United Nations’ annual climate conference for stronger public and private actions to help solve the global climate crisis, Episcopal delegates said they left feeling disappointed yet hopeful.
From Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a record 90,000 world leaders, policymakers, climate scientists, activists, corporate executives and interfaith representatives registered and participated at the 28th U.N. Conference of Parties of the Framework Convention on Climate Change, or simply COP28. Twenty-one Episcopal delegates participated on behalf of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry — nine in person and 12 virtually. California Bishop Marc Andrus has been chairing the Episcopal delegation every year since 2015.
The first day of the conference started out promisingly with the UAE and Germany both pledging $100 million to assist the world’s poorest countries that are most vulnerable to climate change’s irreversible damage. The conference concluded with U.N. member states agreeing that fossil fuels are a major contributor to climate change; however, the agreement didn’t include an explicit commitment to phase out fossil fuels, resulting in widespread criticism from climate scientists and activists.
Lynnaia Main, The Episcopal Church’s representative to the United Nations, told Episcopal News Service that compromise and disappointment are both inevitable at U.N. conferences.
